FREE JANUARY WEBINARS
Register for webinars at https://yourdogsfriend.org/free-workshops/
All webinars are at 2:00pm Eastern time in the US.
"My Dog Won't Listen to Me!" - Building Focus & Attention For The Real World
THIS Saturday, Jan 7, 2:00pm
Let’s start with the good news. It’s easy to teach your dog focus and attention, and that’s the basis for teaching anything else. So, next time you think your dog is being stubborn, remember that the problem is probably “human error”. That’s the bad news.☹ Your dog may not understand what you want, especially in a new context; skills may not be reliable; you moved too quickly into a distracting environment; or reinforced the wrong behavior. Learn how to teach your dog attention and focus and see how much easier training your dog for the real world can be. Speaker: Lisa Lyle Waggoner, CPDT-KA, CSAT, PMCT2 - Cold Nose College, Faculty at Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior and Author of "The Original Rocket Recall™: Teach Your Dog to Come"
Advice for Adopters & Puppy Parents - monthly guidance for adopters, potential adopters & fosters
NEXT Sunday, January 15, 2:00pm
Come hear a trainer discuss dog training and behavior, helpful pet products, and the many common issues that new dog and puppy parents face.
Speaker: Angie Madden, CPDT-KA, CCUI; Dog Speak
Life With Small Dogs - The Joys & Challenges
Sunday, January 22, 2:00pm
Small dogs have some special needs and issues – housetraining, nutrition, health problems, safety, grooming, training methods, and a tendency to bark … a lot. As a small dog mom and trainer, our speaker can advise you from real-life experience. Speaker: Juliana DeWillems, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBC - JW Dog Training & Behavior |
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If you missed our first winter webinar on Dec 3, Enrichment to Meet Your Dog's Specific Needs, you can catch it at https://youtu.be/Aumb7MBlOmM
Here's our winter webinars flyer. Please share our webinars on neighborhood list serves and virtual newsletters.
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PUPPY SUMMIT
Have a puppy or unruly dog? You CAN turn the chaos to calm. Don't think it's possible? We can tell you it absolutely is; we see it all the time. It can feel impossible with all the misinformation and conflicting information online. Join one of our instructors, Sarah Stoycos, of Laughing Dog Academy. and over twenty other dog trainers at the FREE "Your Puppy Blueprint" summit, sponsored by PupScouts of Hunterdon, on Jan 16 - 29. There will be two speakers each day, and those interviews will run for 24 hours.
Register at https://summit.puppyblueprint.com/ssydf
CLASSES
Both online and in-person classes are listed below. Please read the class descriptions and check for prerequisites on our website before registering for class. Have questions about which class to choose? Email Nicole!
Online Classes - Join us from anywhere!
If you aren't sure about online classes, this comment from a recent student might help: “I wasn’t sure what to expect from the video format, but it was great–very organized and personalized. The different modes of learning (eg, videos, discussion, lecture, real feedback on practice) are highly effective and keep class interesting.”
First Things First with Your New Rescue: Thursdays, 7:15 - 8:15 pm ET, rolling enrollment
Help your newly adopted dog transition to life with your family. Teach your dog how to relax and feel safe; build trust right from the start; learn which training skills to prioritize; train beginning skills for polite leash walking and coming when called; and understand how to develop routines and set up your home to make things easier for both you and your dog. This is a perfect class for dogs that might be overwhelmed by an immediate basic class or when a basic class isn't available yet.
Control Unleashed: Wed, Jan 4 - Feb 22, 6:30 - 7:30 pm ET
Learn foundation behaviors and pattern games, developed by trainer and author Leslie McDevitt, to help dogs focus and relax. Although this class is good for all dogs, these techniques are especially effective for dogs that have trouble focusing in stimulating environments, struggle with over-arousal (jumping up, leash-biting, nipping, etc), or are reactive, fearful, anxious, or worried.
TTouch Methods to Calm Your Dog: Sun, Jan 8 - 22, noon - 1:00 pm ET
Learn the basics of body work, wraps, and movement exercises that can help your dog feel more calm and balanced - whether you have a shy, fearful, sound sensitive or anxious dog facing every day challenges; an easily distracted dog with trouble focusing; or an elderly dog dealing with aging issues. These methods will benefit your dog long after class when you use them at home, leading one student to call this class "the gift that keeps on giving".
Separation Anxiety Class:
- Level 1: Sun, Jan 8 - Feb 12, 2:00 - 3:15 pm ET
- Level 2: Sun, Jan 8 - Feb 12, 3:30 - 4:45 pm ET
Does your dog struggle when left alone? Do you return to destruction, a stressed-out dog, or accidents in the house, even though when you are home, none of that happens? Are your neighbors complaining about your dog’s barking or crying? We will show you how to address the variety of issues that can create this complicated problem and how to build your own plan to work to reduce your dog’s anxiety.
Basic Manners: Tues Jan 10 - Feb 14, 6:30 - 7:30 pm ET
Working as a team, you will help your dog learn basic skills and practice training exercises. This is a great foundations class for dogs who may be too distracted, nervous, overstimulated, or reactive to learn in the in-person class setting.
Love the Leash: End the Tug of War: Fri, Jan 13 - Feb 17, 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET
This class focuses on communication and collaboration between you and your dog, and will include fun connection games, as well as instruction and practice in handling skills. You’ll learn ways to loosen the leash and walk together in harmony.
Tricks - Online: Thurs, Feb 2 - 23, 7:30 - 8:15 pm ET
Teaching tricks is a great way to have fun with your dog, exercise their brain and body, build your bond, and practice the training skills you already have while learning new ones too. This online class is great for reactive or fearful dogs, puppies and adolescents, and adult dogs of all ages!
Reactive Dog Class: Thurs, Feb 9 - Mar 16, 7:30 - 8:45 pm ET
Does your dog lunge, bark, growl, or overreact to dogs, people, or other stimuli? Our online class will teach you how to handle the difficult situations that arise when you live with or walk a reactive dog.
In-Person Classes - at our training center or outside in Rockville, MD
Intermediate Manners: Thursdays, 8:00 - 9:00 pm, rolling enrollment
Take your training to the next level with real-life applications. If your dog already knows the basics, this class will offer new challenges and more practice with other dogs in sight!
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Prep: Tues Jan 31 - Mar 7, 4:15 - 5:15 pm
Prepare for the 10 item CGC test after taking Basic, Adolescent, Puppy class or working with another positive trainer. Dogs must be friendly with people and other dogs. We generally hold a CGC test sometime after the class.
Rally, Novice:
- Fri, Feb 3 - 24, 2:15 - 3:15 pm
- Sat, Feb 4 - Feb 25, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Follow AKC signs and practice important behaviors in a fun way with increasing distractions, improving communication, attention, and leash walking skills. Engage with your pup by talking with them, using cues, hand touches, fun sounds, treats and praise! Not appropriate for dogs reactive to dogs or humans.
Tricks Prep, Novice: Fri, Feb 3 - 24, 3:30 - 4:15 pm
Have fun learning the tricks you’ll need to prepare for either the AKC or the Do More With Your Dog Novice Tricks Test! The optional test will be on the last day of class.
Please see Basic Manners, Adolescent Class, Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy 1st Grade, Puppy 2nd Grade, and Puppy Party schedules here!
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Dog Facial Expressions: Stress
by Eileen Anderson, eileenanddogs.com
Posted on February 14, 2013
Clara: Relaxed vs Stressed
Poor Clara had her yearly vet visit this past week. She is my feral dog, and although I have two socialization sessions with her every week and she is making great progress, I have not worked with her at the vet. Going to the vet is graduate school, and she’s just to 7th grade or so.
So what do you do when you have to put your dog in a situation for which they are not ready to be comfortable? What I did was take lots of food for distractions and get through it as fast as possible.
For Clara, getting shots or other procedures that cause a bit of pain is not the problem. Being in a building with other people and dogs in close proximity, and being handled and restrained by strangers is. This is by far the most frightened she has ever been at the vet’s, probably because the last time she was there I had to leave her to be spayed, then she came home (the same day) in considerable pain.
I decided to make lemons out of lemonade (not for Clara, unfortunately, but maybe for the rest of us) and take some pictures if I was able to do so while still paying appropriate attention to my petrified dog.
So here are Clara’s “Faces of Stress.” She is a very expressive dog and I have labeled some typical signs of stress in dogs on the photos. There are lots of different shots. I’ve also included two pictures of Clara when she is relaxed and happy for comparison. I use some of the terminology in Barbara Handelman’s book Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook.
Definitions:
commissure - corner of your dog's mouth
spatulate tongue - dog's tongue is wider at the end
whale eye (or half moon eye) - when you can see the whites of a dog's eye
 dilated pupils, whale eye,
panting, spatulate tongue
 muscle ridges, whale eye,
skin pulled tight
 muscle ridges on forehead,
ears flushed
 ears pinned, muscle ridges,
skin drawn tight, pupils dilated
 muscle ridges,
ears pinned
 arched back, muscle ridges,
tucked tail, legs in crouch
 muscle ridges, ears pinned,
commissures pulled tightly back,
spatulate tongue
muscle ridges on forehead,
pupils dilated, ears pinned,
commissure drawn back
 pinned ears, spatulate tongue,
commissures drawn tightly back
 ears pinned, pupils dilated,
commissures pulled tghtly back
 muscle ridges, ears
pinned, commissures
pulled tightly back
 muscle ridges on forehead,
pinned ears, lip lick
 pinned ears, dilated pupils,
skin drawn tight
 eyes squinting, ears pinned,
panting, commissures pulled back
 sudden shedding
 Clara relaxed
 Clara relaxed
I got almost no full body shots at the vet’s, not only because the room was small, but also because she stayed so close to me. Awww.
On the plus side: as agitated as she was, she took food the whole time. And she showed zero aggression. I’m proud of how very brave she was.
Does your dog have any interesting “tells” regarding stress?
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